Patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke were recruited within 24 h
of hospital admission between October 2004 and April 2008. Participants were
randomized to oxygen via nasal cannulae (72 h) or control (room air, oxygen
given only if clinically indicated). Clinical outcomes were assessed by
research team members at 1 week. Baseline data for oxygen
(n?=?148) and control (n?=?141)
did not differ between groups.

Results

The median (interquartile range) National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale
(NIHSS) score for the groups at baseline was 6 (7) and 5 (7) respectively.
The median Nocturnal Oxygen Saturation during treatment was 1.4%
(0.3) higher in the oxygen than in the control group (p<0.001) during the
intervention. At 1 week, the median NIHSS score had reduced by 2 (3) in the
oxygen and by 1 (2) in the control group. 31% of participants in the
oxygen group and 14% in the control group had an improvement of =4
NIHSS points at 1 week doubling the odds of improvement in the oxygen group
(OR: 2.9).

Conclusion

Our data show that routine oxygen supplementation started within 24 hours of
hospital admission with acute stroke led to a small, but statistically
significant, improvement in neurological recovery at 1 week. However, the
difference in NIHSS improvement may be due to baseline imbalance in stroke
severity between the two groups and needs to be confirmed in a larger study
and linked to longer-term clinical outcome.